1. Technical Field
This invention relates in general to error correction coding and, more particularly, to an improved Reed-Solomon decoder.
2. Description of the Related Art
Modern digital communication systems typically make use of error correction coding (ECC) schemes to improve system performance under imperfect conditions. For digital magnetic storage devices, for example, signals on the magnetic medium may degrade over time, or imperfections in the magnetic medium may cause recording errors. For optical storage devices, such as compact disks (CDs) and digital video devices (DVDs), physical wear and tear may result in misreading data. In both these cases, some errors can be correct through the use of a proper ECC scheme.
Perhaps more importantly, in digital communication systems, such as satellite communications, mobile phones, smart phones, mobile processing systems, and high-speed modems, errors can be introduced through the transmission medium. For clear, error-free transmissions, it is important to have a robust ECC scheme.
Reed-Solomon error correcting codes are used throughout the electronics industry to provide error correction, largely because of their relative simplicity of implementation and their ability to detect and correct multiple errors, especially for channels subject to burst errors. Because, Reed-Solomon error correction is word-based, a single error encompasses any or all errors within a single word, as opposed to other correction techniques in which each bit error is an independent error event.
Nonetheless, the increasing speeds of data transmission require increase speeds for error correction. Reed-Solomon error correction involves complicated matrix operations that must be performed in real time in most cases. In many devices, it is desirable to perform the Reed-Solomon error correction within a programmable processing device, such as a DSP (digital signal processor). Accordingly, techniques for improving the speed in which the matrix calculations can be performed are extremely valuable.
Therefore, a need has arisen for providing an improved Reed-Solomon decoder.